31 July 1981

ITV - Thames/LWT

Source: TV Times 25-31 July 1981 (Thames/LWT)

09.40 The Story of Wine: "The Great Clarets" - Baron Philippe de Rothschild relates the story of the famous red wines of the Medoc region of France.

10.10 The Bubblies: "Digging to Australia" - When Cuthbert decides to dig a hole to Australia, Mr. Centigrade explains about gravity.

10.15 Nature of Things: "Converging Lines - The Surrender: Islam" - The focus is on Islam, a creed and way of life for more than one quarter of mankind. The second largest religion in the world, it was founded by Mohammed in the 7th Century A.D.

11.05 The Ante Room: Novel by Kate O'Brien, Adapted by Tony Hickey. Agnes tries to snap Marie-Rose out of her depression.

12.00 A Handful of Songs: Maria Morgan, Keith Field. Keith and Maria show more of your paintings and sing some songs.

12.10 Once Upon a Time: Peter Davison tells the story of five cowboys and five Red Indians, illustrated by Valerie Pye.

12.30 One in a Hundred: Second of a seven-part series about mentally handicapped people from birth, through school years to adult life. Guests today include Rex Brinkworth, Birmingham based founder of Down's Children's Association and Bob Rutherford, a psychologist, who has developed parents' workshop groups in Paisley, Scotland. This programme presented by Derek Cooper explores the pre-school years. Attention is given to the range of help available to mentally handicapped children and their parents, methods of early intervention and parents' self-help schemes.

13.30 Emmerdale Farm: It's Christmas in Beckindale. As Dolly Skilbeck's Nativity play gets underway, Amos Brearly prepares a surprise for the Woolpack.

14.00 Houseparty: Join the Houseparty for lively discussion and household hints.

14.25 Friday Matinee: Ben Gazzara in "The Neptune Factor" - Far beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, a group of scientists and aquanauts have for months been conducting research from a deep-sea laboratory on the edge of a deep trench. In the wake of a huge seaquake, the cables snap and the laboratory, with three men inside, is pitched into the dark unknown.

16.15 Porky Pig and Daffy Duck: "Robin Hood Daffy" - Daffy Duck keeps all Sherwood Forest laughing. When he plays the hero Robin, his men are bound to be merry.

16.20 Storybook International: by Virginia Boston, based on an adaptation by Nanette Newman. First of a series of stories from around the world, brought to life by a narrator and two actors. This week's story is an English one. Peter (Kevin Mann), a simple lad, visits a wise woman but is unable to answer her complicated riddles. He marries Jenny (Mandy Perrymont) and goes with her to the wise woman. This time, helped by Jenny, he answers the riddles. Peter is lucky to have found such a clever wife. The narrator is June Barrie.

16.45 Freetime: A trip to Ely in Cardiff with presenter Mick Robertson to join youngsters enjoying their local playscheme. He also introduces a group of enthusiasts with a novel idea for making the most of their model train and racing car layouts. Plus there are more suggestions of clubs to join as well as this week's young author reading a tale with a twist.

17.15 Sale of the Century: Nicholas Parsons fires the battery of questions: Carole and Karen display the prizes, and John Bensonn provides the commentary. Music is by Peter Fenn, and the questions are compiled by David Self.

18.30 Thames Sport: Simon Reed, Susan King. A special tribute to the Royal Wedding, as well as all the latest sports news. With viewers having been given the chance to vote for their own favourite highlight from 33 years of sport, the action covers the ground from 1948 (the year Prince Charles was born) to the present day. Your own special memory could be selected in this look back at some of the magic moments in sport.

19.00 Winner Takes All: Jimmy Tarbuck hosts this general knowledge quiz with a gambling flavour. Question master is Geoffrey Wheeler; Jan Michelle and Tina Robinson are the hostesses. Hoping to maintain his lead is returning champion John Smith. Questions are set by Deborah Sutherland and verified by Ward Lock Books. Additional material is by Wally Malston.

19.30 Return of the Saint: created by Leslie Charteris. Ian Ogilvy, Gayle Hunnicutt in "Collision Course" - Part 2: The Sixth Man, by John Kruse. In this second of a two-part adventure, Simon Templar - alias The Saint - plunges into new and unexpected danger in search of hidden gold.

20.30 That Beryl Marston ...!: by Jan Butlin. Julia McKenzie, Gareth Hunt in "Pax" - Georgie and Gerry are married, and can't live with each other or without each other. Their children try to bring them back together even though Gerry has had an affair with Beryl Marston - the sex goddess of Sussex.

21.00 Ladykillers: Christopher Cazenove in "A Smile is Sometimes Worth a Million Dollars", by Trevor J. Cooper, with Helen Cherry, Lewis Fiander, Charles Kay, Susan Skipper. Robert Morley introduces the fourth of an anthology of plays about men and women charged with murder. Ronald True brutally murdered Olive Young - but did he really know what he was doing or was he, as the defence claimed, criminally insane?

22.00 News at Ten: Up-to-the-minute coverage of major events at home and abroad from the reporters, cameramen and editors of Independent Television News.

22.30 Police 5: Help Shaw Taylor and New Scotland Yard in the fight against crime.

22.40 End of Part One: by Andrew Marshall, David Renwick - with Denise Coffey, Sue Holderness, Tony Aitken, Fred Harris, David Simeon, Dudley Stevens. The fourth of seven off-beat comedy programmes.

23.10 The Shattered Dream - Employment in the Eighties: "Coping with the Future" - New technology in industry is starting to make an impact. What effect will it have on your job? Narrator is Richard Griffiths.